Loma Lookboonmee: Weili Zhang-Valentina Shevchenko is “absolutely incredible” “for women”

Valentina Shevchenko and Weili Zhang will engage in one of the most anticipated fights of the last few years this November. Before their Madison Square Garden clash at UFC 322, Loma Lookboonmee has offered up her thoughts on that massive matchup.

Loma Lookboonmee will clash with Alexia Thainara at UFC Fight Night: Perth on September 27th in a strawweight bout. Lookboonmee appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts to touch on the cross-divisional mega fight that lies ahead between Zhang and ‘Bullet.’

Also of note, Lookboonmee is a Bangtao Muay Thai compatriot to the former UFC strawweight champion, with Zhang now looking to enter the rarefied air of two-division champions through UFC history. Breaking down this seismic matchup as she heads into her own high-stakes contest later this week, Lookboonmee said,

“So I think, you know, you’ve got the best strawweight going up against the best flyweight. Like that is an incredible match up. But if you’re asking me like who I’m going to cheer for like I love them both. Like I cannot pick a side. I will be cheering for both of them. I have trained with Weili, she is very focused. She puts everything she has into every session, into everything she does.”

“It’s great watching someone of that level. She’s so focused and so disciplined when she trains. I think for women having this fight, the best strawweight, the best flyweight, it’s just absolutely incredible. I don’t know who’s going to win. I really don’t but I’ll be cheering for both of them.”

Weili Zhang’s belt vacating statement pre-UFC 322

Weili Zhang is a multi-time UFC strawweight champion who vacated her belt to now pursue flyweight gold. The Chinese combatant put out a statement regarding her decision to move up and leave the 115-pound crown vacant to fight Shevchenko here toward the end of the year. Ahead of this cross-divisional super fight on November 15th, Zhang stated [via Bloody Elbow],

“UFC 322, let‘s go. Keep moving forward. Stay positive and upward. Break through everything and surpass yourself. Everything is brand new. #ufc#ufc322 @ufc!”

The strawweight title will not remain vacant for long, though, and a sucessor to Zhang’s throne will soon be determined. At UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on October 25th, Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern will have a rematch, but this time the 115-pound crown will be on the line. That fight will serve as the co-main event fight underneath the UFC heavyweight title clash between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane.